“There was no difference in patient and graft survival between adult recipients transplanted with liver grafts from pediatric and adult donors,” Kristopher P. Croome, MD, and colleagues at the department of transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., wrote. “The short-term and long-term survival analyses presented herein support the use of these organs when they have been declined for all available pediatric recipients.”

The researchers looked at all liver transplant recipients from Feb. 27, 2002 to Nov. 30, 2014 who have since died. Pediatric donors were defined as those aged younger than 12 years; adult donors were aged older than 18 years. The researchers separated adults based on which age group the patient’s donor came from. Researchers used established formulas to determine standard total liver volume and body surface area. Graft life was determined based on how long a patient lived after transplant, the date a graft was lost or the date a patient last checked in for treatment.

Croome and colleagues wrote patient survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 88%, 83% and 77% in the pediatric-to-adult LT group and 88%, 79% and 73% in the adult-to-adult LT group. Graft survival over the same period was 84%, 78% and 72% in the pediatric-to-adult group and 84%, 75% and 69% in the adult-to-adult group.

“We demonstrated that acceptable patient and graft survival can be achieved with the use of pediatric liver grafts in adult recipients,” researchers wrote.